Not Dead Yet
by Casper2591
Summary: She's just asleep... She’s not dead, she's not...


Title: Not dead yet…  
Warning: Character death  
Summary: She's just asleep... She's not dead yet, she not dead...  
Disclaimer: I just borrowed the characters, they aren't mine  
Author's Notes: Okay, this is my first fiction I've written with the intent to let other people see, so please be let me know what you think, and please try and be nice ... Oh, the normal font is what is happening in the room, and the italics are memories just so you know

...

The nurse quickly made her way into the bright white, clean, sterilized hospital room, smiling slightly at the silver haired man in the chair. Unable to stop the sympathy from leaking into her eyes, as she quickly removed the empty IV drip, and replaced it with a new, full one, her thoughts not leaving the older man in the room. He hadn't left the younger brunettes side since she was admitted to the ward. Only when someone else came and took his place, forcing him to go shower, get a few hours sleep and some food, always giving their word they won't leave her side. And she wasn't sure he slept then either.

All the nurse wanted to do, was run to the man and hug him tightly, and just let him cry. She could still how much he was hurting, and she could see how hard he was trying to keep his emotions secret, away from everyone; military- they're all the same. It was obvious how badly he blamed himself for the woman's condition, she was his subordinate, he was supposed to have her six... and he didn't, and now she's been stuck in this coma for the past three months.

_The room was filled with laughter and cheer as the group sat around the table opening crackers and laughing at the terrible jokes hidden inside. As Kate held the cracker over so that Gibbs can open it, both pulling their sides hard before the loud POP filled the air and Gibbs came out with the larger end.  
"C'mon Gibbs... what's your joke?" Abby asked cheerfully, as she reached over for the pink paper hat placing it on her boss head.  
"Abs," he growled, but, as it was Christmas, he allowed the hat to stay as he read his joke aloud, "__What is Santa's favourite pizza?" he asked looking around at all the puzzled, faces, some shaking their head in silent request for the answer, "One that's deep pan, crisp and even." He answered, chuckling at the chorus of groans from the table. _

"_Okay... I believe it's time for a toast," came the voice of Ducky as he stood up holding up his glass, a sudden hush filling the table, six pairs of eyes looking up at him as he spoke, "in my many years on this planet, and never have I spent such an amazing Christmas, with such a unique, and remarkable group of people. These past few months that have brought us together have been wonderful, and I can only imagine, and hope that the next few years are just as happy for us all as the past months have been. May you all find happiness, and love and achieve everything you desire, and hope to do." He looked around the group holding up the glass smiling at the them all, "to us, may we all be happy and filled with glee," he said, as the rest of the group raised their glasses all repeated the words 'to us'._

Footsteps echoed down the corridor reaching the little room, as Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo made his way to the room that housed both his partner and his boss. He hadn't been to see her in a while. And he was feeling the guilt for it. But it was too painful. Seeing her like that, so… lifeless. It wasn't right, she was supposed to be awake, and calling him a sexist pig, and 

rolling her eyes at him, or throwing carrot sticks. He also just felt so uncomfortable just sitting there watching her sleep... Trying to think of something to say, wondering if she was even going to hear him. If was just... weird.

What also didn't really help things was the older man sat by Kate's bedside. Not saying anything, just watching the younger woman. Her chest moving up and down and up and down, with help from the machines forcing her to breathe. Or looking expectantly up at him, it was hard.

Looking into the room, Tony sighed deeply, clearing his throat to get the attention of Gibbs, who just looked up at him, offering a small nod giving his permission to enter Kate's room.  
"Hey boss..." Tony said, forcing a smile on his face as he looked from the man to Kate and then back again, "how's it going?" Stepping over the threshold, and walking to the foot of the bed.

The room was filled with silence for a few moments before Tony eventually came out with, "when did you last go home, Gibbs?"  
"Thursday," It was Monday.  
"Gibbs, go home... Have a shower, shave get some rest... You look like hell." He told him simply, placing his hand on the pole across the bottom of the bed, looking at the man, who just shook his head,  
"What if she wakes up and I'm not here?" He asked, his voice so quiet Tony wondered if he had actually heard him, or if he was making it up.  
"It's been seven months..."  
"I'm not leaving her!" At this Gibbs' gaze was torn from Kate and laid directly on Tony, tense and terrifying clearly telling the younger agent to just drop up, or else...  
"Okay... Okay..." Tony said softly looking at the brunette asleep on the bed and allowed a silence to fill the room, only being interrupted by the _beep... beep... beep..._ of the heart monitor. "I miss her..." He whispered suddenly, looking directly at the beautiful woman, unconscious in the bed, Gibbs nidded slowly,  
"Me too..."

_It had been a long day, a very long day, at NCIS. The team had been on the hunt for a killer who had killed Petty Officer Michelle Adler and her three year old son for the past three days only to find out it was the Petty Officer's father-in-law, after he found out that the young Petty Officer had cheated on his son, and the young boy was, in fact, not his grandson at all! _

_The group had all taken the findings hard, unable to believe how a man who had believed that a young boy was his grandson for three years could kill him! Yes, he had every right to be angry with Adler but the boy hadn't done anything wrong, and he was still family! And this was no excuse for murder. The grandfather had been brought in earlier that morning and had spent the rest of the day doing paper work. Usually paperwork meant trying to work while DiNozzo got bored and began distracting everyone. But today everyone just wanted this case over and done with and put behind them so they could move on and try to forget the face of that little boy (all of them knowing his face would haunt them for some time to com). Because of this, it had been almost silent in the bullpen, Gibbs' team working hard to get this finished. _

_But it was getting late, and the only ones in the bullpen were Kate and Gibbs right now, along with the night shift cleaners. Unknown to Kate, but Gibbs had long since finished his work, and was currently just pretending to click around, in order to not leave Kate alone, but now (looking at the time) he was starting to wonder if there was any point in going home at all. _

_He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Kate yawn from her desk, taking a minute to rub her eyes and get rid of all the sleep and eye gunk- that was the last straw. He stood up and walked over to her desk, "c'mon," he said simply walking over to the elevator, smirking as he heard Kate race to get her stuff together and follow him to the small, metal box,  
"where are we going?" she asked stepping through the doors as they opened, getting one simple word in reply.  
"Breakfast."_

_So here they were; in a 24 hour diner eating bacon, eggs and beans, with coffee talking _about_ anything but work! Gibbs laughed sipping his coffee as he shook his head at the story Kate just finished telling him about her siblings, "... and then he just picked up the fish and threw it at me," the brunette finished around a laugh.  
"Wow, sounds like fun," he replied and he drained his coffee cup, throwing some bills down on the table in order to pay before getting up to take Kate home._

"_I don't want to see you back at NCIS until after lunch, Agent Todd," Gibbs ordered pulling up outside her apartment building, turning to look at her, smiling slightly as she nodded,  
"yes boss," she said cheerfully, turning to get out of the car before pausing to turn to look a Gibbs, "thank you," she said suddenly smiling, "for breakfast." Gibbs just smiled slightly and nodded once, watching as she went to climb out of the car again,  
"Kate," he called just as she was about to close the door, causing her to bend over to look in at him, "have dinner with me tomorrow night," he blurted before he could think about what he was saying. Before he could think of the consequences, and just as quickly got the reply:  
"okay." Before she closed the door and walked into the building, stopping at the door to turn and wave as he drove away. That's when it hit her, she had just agreed to go on a date with Gibbs._

_And to hell with the consequences. _

Gibbs stared at Kate's unconscious form. It had been 8 months, and he had barely left her side, and when he was there, his hand never left hers. His cerulean eyes, dimming every day she didn't wake. His hair had grown and was now in desperate need of cutting. He hadn't shaved in weeks creating a thick layer of stubble over his jaw and neck.

The worry and lack of sleep had caused large angry bags to form under his eyes, and the lines dotted around his face had increased and deepened making him look years past his age. "Come on, Katie," he often whispered, bringing her knuckles to his lips, and lightly pressing a kiss to her hands. Or would reach over and run a hand through her dark hair.

Spending so much time at Kate's bedside, Gibbs had eaten less and less, causing his weight to drop drastically, his clothes now a few sizes too big his face thinner and drawn. But he wasn't his main priority. When Kate was better... When she woke up, he would sort himself out, but right now he had to concentrate on her. Taking a deep breath, Gibbs reached for the hair brush and began dragging the brush through her hair. Gibbs needed her back with him, so badly that he often found himself turning to someone he never thought he would seek comfort in again; God. He often found himself holding her crucifix tightly in his hand, whispering every prayer he knew, and then some... He even visited the church chapel once when the nurse and doctors kicked him out the room to do some tests.

Caitlin Todd lay peacefully on the bed. Every few days Abby or Gibbs himself would change her pyjamas to keep her clean and comfortable. Right now they had her in a night shirt, that would fall to just above her knee, cream in colour with a picture of a teddy bear getting into bed, with small night cap on his head, on her chest.

Her hair and grown in the past 7 months, and was now down to mid-bicep length, and Gibbs loved to just brush the brunette locks for hours. It just made him feel closer to her; it was nice almost intimate, that he could do this for her.

Her complexion had become more and more pale, it sometimes terrified the older man, causing him to have to freeze and stare at the rise and fall of her chest, and listen to the beep of the heart monitor just to remind himself that she was still alive. Often, Abby or another of Kate's girlfriends would come in, and put a little make up on her, just a small amount to give her a little colour; Gibbs had agreed to the rule that only the girls could do that after he tried and made her look like some sort of clown hooker type of thing.

The only jewellery she wore was the golden cross she had since she was a child, given to her from her maternal grandmother at her first holy communion, and the small eternity ring on the ring finger on her right hand, symbolising Gibbs' promise to stay with her forever; almost like and incentive for her to wake up with the promise he often made that when she woke, he would replace it with an engagement ring.

"_Why? Why are you being like that?" Kate asked as the pair stormed into his house,  
"because, Kate, he's you're ex."  
"So? We were together years ago!" she told him glaring at him, "seriously, why are you so jealous? There's nothing between us anymore!" Gibbs just scoffed folding his arms across his chest, "Daniel and I... We haven't been together since I was 21!" Again Gibbs just shook his head as Kate walked into the kitchen,  
"you obviously didn't see the way he was looking at you!"  
"Oh my god, Gibbs! Do you have any idea what you sound like right now! I mean... Can you hear yourself?!" she yelled at him, pacing around the central island in the centre of the room. Gibbs shook his head and just lent against one of the counters his arms crossed glaring at her as she paced and yelled._

"_Kate! You didn't see what he was like when you left..."  
Kate scoffed, "you're pathetic," she hissed angrily before leaving the room, and Gibbs, just standing there until he left to go to his basement and work on his boat, grumbling things about it only being a matter before Daniel tried something..._

_It had been four days since Kate and Gibbs had had their argument and they still weren't speaking to each other. Both too stubborn to admit they were wrong, but both feeling the pain of their fight. It had been four days since Kate and Gibbs had shared a bed, at either of their homes, every night just going straight home after work after spending all day hardly talking to each other, and whenever one did speak to the other it was full of venom which was causing a lot of tension of the rest of the team._

_Kate sighed as she looked across at Daniel who was sat next to her on her couch as she bitched about her lover, "I just... I don't understand why he's being so damned unreasonable," she groaned draining her fourth wine, already feeling... rather tipsy.  
"He's just being childish," Daniel picked up the Ros__é __filling her glass despite her refusal, "he thinks that because you and him are an item now, that he should have the right to tell you who you can and cannot see ." Kate nodded in agreement taking a larger sip,  
"exactly, I mean, he doesn't own me.. If I want to see you, I can see you... I mean, just because we used to date doesn't mean that anything's going to happen, does it?" She asked her arms flying around everywhere.  
"Not at all," he said placing his half empty second glass on the table, "you," he poked her nose playfully, to which she drunkenly tried to wave him off, "are drunk!" He changed the topic_

_Kate shook her head, furious at being called such a thing, "Am not! YOU are," she counted, looking smug as if her argument was the best in the world.  
"Of course I am," he muttered standing up and picking her up in a fire-mans lift, "come on,"  
"nooooo!" Kate cried, "I can walk... I can..."  
"Okay, but we're here," Daniel told her dropping her onto her bed,  
"but what about my drink?!" The man laughed, brushing some of the hair from Kate's face, and smiling into her eyes,  
"you're drink is fine," he promised, smiling, "I'll look after it, you just need to get some rest, okay?" Kate nodded, "okay, I'll just be out there for you." Kate just nodded curling into a small ball._

_The next morning, Kate headed into the kitchen to make some coffee for herself and Daniel, leaning across the back of the couch, "hey... Dan," she whispered watching him sleep, "Daniel," she whispered again reaching down the shaking him lightly,  
"mmm... What?" Daniel asked rolling over and falling onto the floor, which immediately woke him up and caused Kate to burst out laughing as she handed over one of the cups,  
"here... if you drank as much as me... you'll need this.."  
"I didn't," he said accepting the coffee, "and I do." _

_Kate laughed and moved to the sofa, "I want to thank you, for staying here, making sure I was okay, listen to me rant,"  
"hey... It's no problem. It was fun, I've missed you Katie-bean..." Kate smiled slightly at the old nickname,  
"I've missed you too." Daniel smiled lightly, leaning forward to her and capturing her lips with his, immediately causing Kate to panic and shoot back glaring at him, "What the hell are you doing?! I'm with Gibbs!" she yelled,  
"which you know is a mistake!"  
"I love him!" She tried, which he just laughed,  
"You loved me,"  
"__**loved**__," she repeated. A few seconds passed in which the two just glared at each other until Daniel sighed and grabbed his coat,  
"fine," he grumbled, "but when you grow up, and realise you don't want him, and realise it's me you want, not some guy old enough to be your father, I won't be here," he warned walking to the door and leaving Kate alone, feeling like an idiot. _

_It was a Saturday which was a boat day(but then again, everyday was a boat day), and Gibbs was down in his basement drinking coffee from his dusty, red mug, and sanding the boat smooth when he heard he weight on the stairs behind him. _

"_I hope you cleaned that cup before you used it," came her voice, floating down the stairs, to his welcoming ears. But he was a stubborn ass, and he ignored her, choosing instead to just concentrate on the boat, hearing her walk to the bottom of the stairs and confess, "Daniel kissed me..." still nothing, "I kicked him out... you were right, I should have listened to you."  
"You should have," He replied, hearing her sigh.  
"I'm sorry."  
"Dammit Kate," Gibbs sighed throwing his sanding block down and turning to face her, "how many times do I have to tell you; don't apologise. It's a sign of weakness."  
"Sorry." She repeated before flinching, "damn," she cursed under her breath before looking up at his smiling face hurrying over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, drawing him into a kiss, "wow... our first fight!" Gibbs smirked at her, picking her up, so her legs wrapped around his waist,  
"let's go make up properly," he suggested walking to the stairs as his lips sought hers. _

Today was one of the very few days the team could get Gibbs to leave the hospital room. And that was only because Abby had begged him to join them all when they went out with the rest of the team so that she and McGee could announce their pregnancy properly. Had it been anyone but Abby and he would have declined. But while the team celebrated and congratulated the proud parents to be, Gibbs was only half there. All he could think about was Kate, and worry about her waking up alone. And he felt guilty about not being able to be there for Abby as much as he should, he loved her so much, but he just couldn't stop the panic rising in his throat.

Meanwhile, while the team clinked their glasses together making a toast to the child growing in the young woman's womb. Kate lay in her hospital bed, the lights turned off, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with artificial breath, the heart machine filling the room with a small beep with every beat of her heart fighting for survival.

A small, elderly nurse walked into the room, "hello there, Caitlin, who are you feeling today?" She asked walking over to look at her monitors, "I see you're man has gone out tonight, I remember that young woman was tell me that she wanted him to join them for some celebration, apparently she has some good news, I'm not sure what it is... You'll have to tell me when they tell you because I'm all excited." She said smiling as she began making notes with a sigh. "Oh, I think it's time for me to retire soon," the nurse admitted with a sigh, "my daughter had another baby three days ago," she said cheerfully, "beautiful little boy... She's named him Jamie and he's so beautiful," she said looking at the young woman, "I'll bring in picture next time." She said looking over at the seat Gibbs always sat in, "I'll have to tell you," she confessed, "I'm worried about you're man... He'll hardly leave this room, it's not healthy. You can tell he loves you more than life, but he needs to think about his health. He's looking terrible. I don't suppose you have any idea what I can say to make him go?" she paused and shook her head, "didn't think so." The older woman smiled sadly and patted her hand, "I best go," she whispered, "I'll try and get back later," she said as she left the room.

_He could do this forever: just laying here watching her sleep, in her bed, wrapped in his arms, he felt like he could keep her safe and warm when she's in his arms. She looked so beautiful, she _

_perfect and it was times like this that he could never believe that she chose him, out of all the men in the world she chose him, the old, gruff, mean marine who was addicted to coffee and an out and proud workaholic. It was him she went to bed with, him she woke up with. And it was something he wanted to do much more than they did. He wanted to wake with her every day. He wanted the last thing he saw at night and the first thing he sees in the morning to be her. _

_Leaning down he pressed his lips against her temple, "I love you Katie," he whispered laying his head down on the pillow breathing in her sent as he lightly dragged his fingertips up and down her arm, his gaze not leaving her face,  
"you know, it's not nice to watch people when they sleep," Kate mumbled her eyes not opening as she just moved to nuzzle closer to him. Gibbs smiled, his arms tightening around her,  
"you watch me sleep all the time," Gibbs countered  
"mmm... different." This caused Gibbs to chuckle deep, pressing a kiss to her hair, and closing his eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing, and feeling her heart beating between them._

_Yes, he could to this for a long, long time, and he will…. It was a Sunday, after all… In fact, they may not get out of bed at all that day- it wouldn't have been the first time. The only problem he could see for his plan, was that he would need some coffee soon._

_Kate sighed deeply, snuggling into the warm embrace of Gibbs' arms, "mmm…" she moaned lightly. She loved waking up in his arms, feeling his chest rise and fall against her, his breath tickling her hair or neck. She couldn't think of anything better. Whenever she woke up at home, without him, everything just felt… wrong. Like there was something missing- someone missing. Everything was colder, and went slower. Kate often found herself looking at the clock every 3 minutes on those kinds of morning. _

_With Gibbs, everything was brighter, nicer, and the days went past quickly- too quickly sometimes, sometimes Kate longed for a little extra time in his arms. She had never felt like this before. They had been together a little over seven months and every time her looked at her she felt her stomach flip; the love that poured from his gaze, his intense cobalt stare softening to a gently, kind one. The way he said her name, oozed adoration and worship and she often just wanted to pounce on him and take him right there in the middle of the bullpen and to hell with everyone else. The way he barked 'Kate, with me' leading her to the elevator invoked a small tremor of pleasure to ripple through her spine as her mind was filled with images of the things she longed to do to him (and him, her) if he would just flick that damn emergency switch- seriously, one of these days she's just going to flick the switch and be done with it. _

_Gibbs sighed softly and breathed a four word order that made Kate' heart stop beating: "move in with me." Slowly moving back to look into his powerful stare, her own chocolate gaze searching for any sign of regret or joking._

_She found none._

_Dry mouthed, Kate asked carefully, "are you sure?" She asked chewing her bottom lip with nerves, her eyes showing the longing for him to be serious. There was a minute of painful, silence before the older man's face cracked into a large grin as he looked at the younger woman,  
"yes," he whispered simply nodding for effect as he saw the brunette mirror his joyful expression and force her lips against his in a passionate lock,  
"I'd love to," she whispered once they had parted from the need of air._

Doctor Amanda Smith sighed deeply as she checked over Kate's chart. It wasn't looking good. Kate had been in her coma, and hooked up to life support for a little over eleven months now. The woman glanced over at the older man sat on the chair, hunched over the bed and holding Kate's hand like a life line, pressing light kisses against her knuckles every so often, whispering words to her, that Dr. Smith couldn't quiet hear.

Taking a deep breath, "Mr. Gibbs," she whispered, looking into the older man's broken eyes, "can I have a word in my office?" Gibbs said nothing just looked back at Kate,  
"I'm not leaving her." He growled, running a hand through her brown hair.  
"it'll only be a minute." Sighing Gibbs pressed a final kiss against the pale knuckled,  
"I'll be back," he promised, gently placing the hand down and following the doctor to her office, watching as she shut the door behind him.

"Take a seat, please," Smith requested motioning to the chair as she sat in the larger, comfortable chair behind the table, waiting until Gibbs appeared comfortable before she began, "I'm understand how hard this is for you." He said nothing, "unfortunately we need to seriously plan the next step." Still nothing, but he had began to glare at her now, and it sent a shiver of fear along her spine. She cleared her throat trying to buy little time to find something in her mind to say, "unfortunately, Caitlin has been showing very little brain activity, and she had been unconscious for an extremely long period of time, usually patients who have been comatose for this amount of time… Well, they its extremely rate they ever make a full recovery, or any kind of recovery at all," she confessed determined to keep eye contact but it was getting harder and harder.

"She'll wake up," Gibbs finally spoke,  
"Mr. Gibbs, I understand that you need this glimmer of hope, but sir, the chances that she' s going to wake up are very, _very _slim,"  
"She'll wake up," Gibbs repeated folding his arms across his chest. Sighing, Smith lent forwards her arms folded on the desk,  
"her tests beg to differ." She whispered, her voice soft, "I know it's hard, but you're her next of kin. We need you to allow us to turn off the machines." Gibbs just shook his head,  
"you just need to try harder," he blamed staring at the other woman until she looked down at her hands. God she hated her job sometimes  
"There's nothing else we can do." She whispered, "Kate is, essentially brain dead. Even if, some how, she did manage to wake up she would be severely brain damaged, do you really want her to go through that?"

A few minutes of silence filled the room, before Gibbs finally spoke, so quietly the doctor wasn't 100 sure that he had actually said anything, "no…" Looking back at Dr. Smith he spoke again, louder his eyes betraying his pain, tears glistening in the blue irises, "give us some time, my team and I… to… say goodbye," he ordered, and Smith clearly understood this wasn't a request,  
"of course." She whispered standing up with the older man, and watching him make his way back to Kate's room.

_Gibbs, DiNozzo, Kate, and McGee all stood out side the front door waiting for Gibbs to give directions to how they were going to do this. "DiNozzo, McGee, you take the back entrance," Gibbs ordered, his voice hushed in order to maintain their secrecy, "Kate, you're with me." The three _

_nodded and got into their positions, the couple stood on either side of the door, waiting for word that the others were in position; it didn't take long. _

"_We're in position, Boss," came Tony's voice in their ear pieces, Gibbs and Kate exchanged a look, sharing a silent conversation between them, 'you ready?' From Gibbs and a small single affirmative nod from Kate.  
"Three… Two… One… Go!" Gibbs whispered through the microphone at his wrist before kicking down the door, "Federal Agents!" He yelled scanning the room, finding it empty and going off to check the other rooms, hearing a chorus of 'Clears' from various rooms of the house._

_It wasn't until Kate stepped into the dining room, and spotted someone trying to open the window wide enough to climb through, raising her gun she called, "Freeze, federal agent!" not seeing the guy creep up from behind her grabbing her by the throat and holding a gun to her head,  
"drop the gun," he snarled against her ear, smirking as she complied almost immediately.  
"Let. Her. Go." Came the warning voice of her boss and lover, who had heard her yell, and was currently holding a gun at the man,  
"or you'll do what? Shoot her to get to me?" The man who had his arm around her neck chuckled, as Gibbs moved his gun to the other by the window, which only caused Kate's captor to laugh again, "I'll still kill her." He teased cocking his gun, Kate's gaze staring at Gibbs, begging him for help._

"_What do you want?" The older agent asked him,  
"'what do I want?'" He repeated, "like you care, you just want your precious agent back!" Gibbs said nothing, "I kinda like her," he smelled her hair, "maybe I won't kill her… Maybe I'll just keep her, have a bit of fun with her.." Gibbs could feel his blood boil. God, how he just wanted to pull this trigger but he knew he couldn't… not without risking hurting Kate; and that wasn't an option. _

"_I'm going to say this one more time! Put. The gun. Down!" Again, the other man shook his head,  
"some reason.. I don't think I'll do that," he said grazing the nuzzle of the gun along her neck, "say goodbye to your girl, Agent Gibbs," he whispered pulling the trigger, the bullet tearing it's way though Kate's neck. Almost immediately a second shot rang thought the air, and her shooter fell to the ground beside her, a perfect bullet hole between his eyes.  
"Oh shit! Oh shit!" repeated the younger man from the window as he saw his boss on the ground._

"_Kate? Kate?" Gibbs called sliding to her side and applying pressure on her wound, her dark eyes, looking up at him, the warm blood oozing through his fingers as she opened and closed her mouth trying to speak, "DINOZZO CALL AN AMBULANCE!" He yelled as Tony and McGee entered the room guns out at the sound of gun shots, reaching over to move a piece of her brown hair out of her hair, smudging a dash of crimson across her forehead startlingly evident against the pale of her skin, "stay with me Katie," he ordered pressing hard against her neck, part of him afraid that he was suffocating her, but needing to stop the bleeding. But it just carried on, "it's gonna be okay, Katie... The, the ambulance is on its way... I can hear it; you're going to be okay." He promised, looking up at Tony, "where is it?!" He snapped _

"_It won't be long," he promised, staring at the blood flowing from his partner's neck, "is she going to be okay?"  
"Of course, she is!" Gibbs yelled, "she has to be!" He whispered holding her close to him, the sound of the sirens getting closer and louder, "hear that, Kate, it's coming, can you hear it? Kate... Kate!" he called seeing her eyes closed, "open your eyes, come on Katie... Open your eyes for me! Please."_

The team all huddled around at the end of the bed, tears falling from their eyes. Abby held onto McGee for dear life, unable to stop from crying, as they all said their goodbyes. Ducky placing a comforting hand on Tony and Palmer's shoulders, his own eyes showing the broken man, and how he felt the loss of this woman he often thought of as a daughter. Gibbs was stood off slightly from the ground, unable to cope anyone coming up to him and offering their sympathy. Not yet, he just needed to be as alone as possible for now. As the doctors and nurses waited by the door until they were sure the group of people were ready. Gibbs glanced over at him, and nodded once, slowly, his gaze falling back to Kate, unashamed of the tears that flowed down his cheeks easily, staring at Kate's face, as the doctors began to switch off the machines making her live, keeping her from death.

The team of doctors and nurses worked carefully, and silently, and as one doctor went to turn off the heart monitor, Gibbs finally spoke up for the first time that day, "leave it on," he requested, eyes not leaving his loves face, as he reached out for her hand again, once the doctors stepped back to leave the team and give them a little privacy, "I love you Kate," he whispered leaning to press a small kiss against her lips. The beeping of the heart monitor and Abby's stifled sobs were the only sounds that filled the room.

Tony found himself staring at the heart monitor, watching the peaks that went along with the beeps; until the line went flat at the machine screamed out in one long continuous beep.

The end.


End file.
